Metering-distributors for bottled thick liquids for the preparation of beverages

Abstract

An improved metering-distributor of a mixture of water and syrup comprising apparatus to support a bottle in overturned position, a vertical conduit arranged in the support apparatus for putting in communication the bottle and a metering-cup mounted below the conduit, a main valve slidably mounted inside the metering-cup and having a lower limit position in which syrup falls down in the metering cup and the delivery conduit entrance is closed and a second upper limit position in which the syrup from the metering-cup passes into the syrup delivery conduit, and at the same time chilled water is delivered into the syrup delivery conduit, the metering distributor being provided with a composite disassemblable device, removably applied at the lower end of the syrup delivery conduit and so shaped to form two vertically superposed chambers communicating to one another by a central hole, in the upper one of which enters only the syrup, while in the lower chamber, which entends downwardly with a vertical mixture outflow conduit, water is supplied through a screened entrance orifice, in order to prevent the water entering the superposed upper chamber.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. In metering-distributors having a mixture of syrup and chilled water, multiple apparatus for the preparation of beverages, each comprising a member to support a bottle in overturned position, wherein said support member includes a vertical conduit putting in communication said bottle and a metering-cup mounted below said conduit, a main valve slidably mounted inside said metering-cup and co-operating with a first return spring, having a lower limit position in which said valve puts the bottle in communication with said metering cup and closes the entrance to a syrup delivery conduit which is made integral with said main valve, while at a second upper limit position attained in contrast with the bias of said spring said valve closes the communication between the bottle and the metering-cup and opens the communication between said metering cup and the syrup delivery conduit, and which simultaneously opens at least partially a pipe flexibly connected with a source of chilled water with the interposition of a second valve, which includes means permitting said second valve to open at the same time as a metered quantity of syrup is delivered in order to form a water-syrup mixture the improvements consisting of a disassemblable removable device attached under the said syrup delivery conduit and so shaped as to form two vertically superposed communicating chambers the upper one forming a separation area and the lower one having a funnel-like cover for the syrup inlet, acting as mixing chamber, which extends downwardly with a vertical outflow conduit, and to which water is supplied through a screened orifice, in order to prevent water from entering the superposed, upper chamber, said device being actuated by means enabling to selectively supply into the mixing chamber syrup and water or water only. 
     
     
       2. In metering-distributors having a mixture of syrup and chilled water, multiple apparatus for the preparation of beverages, each comprising a member to support a bottle in overturned position, wherein said support member includes a vertical conduit putting in communication said bottle and a metering-cup mounted below said conduit, a main valve slidably mounted inside said metering-cup and co-operating with a first return spring, having a lower limit position in which said valve puts the bottle in communication with said metering cup and closes the entrance to a syrup delivery conduit which is made integral with said main valve, while at a second upper limit position attained in contrast with the bias of said spring said valve closes the communication between the bottle and the metering-cup and opens the communication between said metering cup and the syrup delivery conduit, and which simultaneously opens at least partially a pipe flexibly connected with a source of chilled water with the interposition of a second valve, which includes means permitting said second valve to open at the same time as a metered quantity of syrup is delivered in order to form a water-syrup mixture the improvements consisting of a composite disassemblable device, removably applied at the lower end of said syrup delivery conduit and so shaped to form two vertically superposed inner chambers communicating to one another by a central hole in the upper one of said inner chambers permitting only the syrup to enter, while in the lower chamber, which extends downwardly with a vertical outflow conduit, water is radially supplied through a screened entrance orifice, in order to prevent water from entering the superposed first chamber, wherein the lower portion of the syrup delivery conduit is provided with an annular outwardly extending flange on which is slidably suspended a cover, with the interposition of a helical spring therebetween to which is disassemblably connected, said composite device including a composite cup-like device consisting of two parts connected to one another in a disassemblable manner, the first part of said cup-like device comprising a cylindrical body having a frustro-conical bottom wall extending downwardly with a water-syrup mixture delivery conduit and which is provided with a radially outwardly extending pipe union, into which the end portion of said flexibly connected water-supply pipe, can be removably introduced in which is housed a longitudinal valve rod integral with a disc valve controlling the delivery of the water and which can open only when the free end of the said water supply pipe will be laterally displaced, while a second part of said cup-like device consists of a frusto-conical partition wall provided with a central hole, said second part being dissasemblably connected to the first part of said cup-like device, while the cover element has a central upwardly extending cap-like portion by means of which said cover element is suspended to the flange extending from the lower end of the syrup delivery conduit, with the interposition of a spring, which permits a displacement downwardly of said cover and of the cup-like device connected thereto so that the flexible water supply pipe can be swung downwardly so that the rod of the valve controlling the water supply can be moved in order to open said water valve so that water only is fed into said device, while the main valve remains in standstill condition and no syrup is dispensed. 
     
     
       3. In a metering-distributor according to claim 2, wherein the cover having a central cap at its peripheral edge partially extends downwardly in that portion thereof which faces the water supply pipe, while two vertical parallel lugs depend from the two sides of said cover, parallel to the axes of the distributor and of the water supply pipe in the rest position of this latter, each lug having a horizontal shoulder on its inner surface, which shoulders form in combination horizontal guiding rails to support said cup-like device, while from the outer surfaces of said lugs coaxial pins extend outwardly, a control forked arm, pivotally connected to a stationary wall supporting the distributor including longitudinally elongated slots designed to receive said pins, said control arm being designed to move said cup-like device up or down so as to selectively permit dispensing water-syrup mixture or only water, according to the direction of the vertical movement of said control arm. 
     
     
       4. Improvement according to claim 2, wherein the lower part of the cup-like device has laterally opposite outwardly projecting small limbs ending at their rear part with a tooth extending downwardly, said limbs being designed to be slidably mounted on said guiding rails formed by the shoulders arranged on said lugs, while said teeth constitute hooking means to releasably lock the two parts forming the cup-like device to one another in the operative condition of said device. 
     
     
       5. Improvements according to claim 2, wherein the frusto-conical upper part of the cup-like device has a central hole therein in an inclined plane so as to define a wall portion which extends downwardly in the front of the entrance of the pipe union which extends downwards, so as to constitute a baffle means to prevent water splashes from entering the upper chamber into which the syrup falls down from the syrup delivery conduit.